Police have lodged an FIR against Arjun Singh, the Trinamul Congress MLA from Bhatpara and the chairman of Bhatpara municipality in North 24-Parganas, for allegedly plotting to kill some leaders of the party.

According to the FIR, Singh and Manish Shukla, a Trinamul youth leader from Barrackpore, hired five contract killers to murder the fellow leaders from the area.

The alleged contract killers, from various districts, were arrested in Barrackpore a fortnight ago. “They revealed during interrogation that they had been hired by Manish Shukla. They were paid an advance of Rs 1 lakh and promised another Rs 4 lakh after the leaders were killed,” said a senior police officer of the district.

Singh blamed the district CPM leadership for the FIR. “They are feeling threatened because our party is becoming more and more popular. We will take legal recourse,” he said.